BOWMANVILLE -- It’s because of hockey that Will Petschenig is here playing lacrosse.

The Oshawa Generals defenceman opted to stay in the area for the summer to train for his third season in the OHL, hoping the extra time will parlay into a professional career down the road. To supplement his training, the 19 year old is running the floor with the Clarington Green Gaels Jr. B lacrosse club for the summer.

The hockey in the winter and lacrosse in the summer routine has been a staple in his life for as long as he can remember.

“I’m fortunate to play and the biggest reason I’m here is to train for hockey,” says Petschenig. “I’ve been very fortunate that the Generals allow me to play. I’m lucky to play lacrosse. It’s good conditioning for hockey.

“In our exit meetings I asked them if it was OK to play and they gave me the green light. They actually encouraged it. I was surprised about that, but I’m very lucky to play.”

When word filtered out that the resident of Manotick, near Ottawa, was going to be staying in the area, the Green Gaels were able to work out a trade with the Nepean Knights, where Petschenig had played last season.

The toughest part of the trade for Petschenig was returning home for a weekend road trip in early May that included games against Gloucester and his former teammates in Nepean.

“It was tough after the game in the handshakes,” he admits of the Nepean game. “I got a hug from all the guys I played with last year, even the coaches. That was tough.”

The Green Gaels appreciate the value he brings to the roster.

“He’s my style of player,” praises head coach Brad MacArthur. “He can play a bit of everything. He can play offence, defence, is reliable.

“The OHL brings a maturity to him that some of our guys don’t have yet.”

His two seasons in the OHL also carriy a bit of a reputation every time he steps on the floor, a recognizable name to many. As for the extra verbal taunts or physical jabs he might take on the floor, for the most part, he ignores it. Something his father, Dan, would be proud of.

“I just play my game. I know that’s what my dad would have wanted. He always loved watching me play lacrosse,” says Petschenig, whose father died unexpectedly on Oct. 29 of last year at the age of 50 from what doctors believe were complications from a blood clot in his lung.

An athlete, the elder Petschenig played professional football for the Toronto Argonauts in the 1980s. The funeral was attended by the entire Generals team, who played the night before in Ottawa and stayed over in a show of support.

“He certainly taught me everything I know about being a professional athlete and just showing up to the rink every day and acting like a pro, on and off the ice,” Petschenig told sports editor Brian McNair in an earlier story about the influence his father had on him.

Petschenig was a third-round selection of the Generals in 2011, and shared one season of Tier II junior with the Nepean Raiders and Cornwall Colts before joining the club as a rookie for the 2012-13 season. The stay-at-home defenceman had one goal and six assists in that first season, posting 2-15-17 point totals this past season. Most impressive was his +20 rating, best on the team.

He also played in all 12 playoff games, sweeps of Mississauga and Peterborough before getting swept by North Bay in the Eastern Conference final. The surprising exit still stings.

“We were shocked,” says Petschenig of the sweep-sweep-get-swept playoff run. “It wasn’t the way we wanted to go out. We were probably the closest team I’ve ever been a part of.”